Richard Berger

Richard Berger's A FOOL FOR OLD SCHOOL ... WRESTLING, THAT IS

can now be purchased at Highspots.com! Long considered one of the most respected services found anywhere on the Internet, Highspots specializes in any and all combat sports books, DVDs and paraphernalia.

A Fool for Old School ... Wrestling, That is consists of 20 acclaimed pro wrestling columns, originally published at The Fight Network TV site. Each has been re-written and brought up-to-date, including brand new introductions. And there's more yet! Along with the columns, you'll find many unique photographs, of which some have not been publicly available before.

As well as at Highspots.com, the book also remains available at Lulu.com. If you have any questions about the book or anything to do with the ordering of such, please don't hesitate to toss an e-mail in my direction. I'll be happy to assist in any way possible.

Although I have done so after every purchase, I want to again thank those folks who have "taken the plunge" and invited A Fool for Old School ... Wrestling, That is into their homes. Numerous copies have been sold as gifts for friends and family, which is a jim dandy notion.

I've received more than one message from wrestling fans who confirm that the contents appeals to spouses and others; in other words, people who are casual fans (and even a couple of outright wrestle-haters!) have enjoyed it just as much as those in the know!

In which case, there's little more I can add but to invite all wandering eyeballs to check out the book at Highspots.com and at Lulu.com.

Thank you for reading this unabashed plug. I will endeavor to make sure the next one is abashed.

Whatever THAT means!

RB's Alternate Website

There's another Richard Berger website you may care to inspect. It contains anecdotes, opinions and, at times, the indescribable, all of which have nothing to do with the world of pro wrestling.

Often lighthearted in tone, but occasionally serious and thought-provoking, you just might just find yourself happy to have spent time at R.B.'s Point of View (POV). Of course, you're invited to offer your opinions in response, whether they coincide or not. So what the heck, what else you gonna do with the next 10 minutes or more?

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Who's Embarrassed?

Most wrestling fans that have studied their history or followed the business for more than 10 years are familiar with the infamous WCW debut of Fred Ottman as “The Shockmaster.” The unscheduled tumble he took as he crashed through the wall only to fall flat on his face, is considered by many as the quintessential screw-up on live TV; at least, among those that took place outside of the ring.

There isn’t a person over the age of five that hasn’t experienced embarrassment in one form of another. As we get older, we are naturally going to accumulate more events of this type. Upon reflection, they will cause us to wince. Eventually, when we relive these episodes after enough time has passed, we can wind up laughing and shaking our heads … just what the hell were we thinking? In most instances, the “pain” is fleeting and we carry on, hopefully having learned something along the way. What’s the point in making the same foolish mistake again and again?

So, even though that momentary sense of humiliation was definitely unpleasant, it’s just one of life’s many reminders that none of us is perfect. I'll go so far as to proclaim that we actually NEED them occasionally. Why? Because when we take a pratt-fall, we gain something valuable that we should remember and apply when next confronting similar circumstances. Ideally, we’ll be more informed by those lessons we've already experienced.

So, I ask one and all not to ridicule Mr. Ottman but to give the man a break. Unfortunately for the former wrestler, his mortification took place in front of a million or two viewers. Even worse, his brief act of buffoonery has been preserved on tape and can be viewed anytime on YouTube. Still, there comes a point when the humor has passed and cruelty sets in.

The fact that I've just written the above has very little to do with me. Having now picked myself up after dozing off in front of my computer, causing me to come a-crashing down to the floor (the back of the chair banging me on the top of my head during the journey), I’m already starting to accept that I’ve just received a valuable lesson.